Book's claims anger Madonna

Madonna last night denied an allegation that she has had 11 abortions since she was 18.

The singer also dismissed as 'ridiculous' claims in an unauthorised biography due out next month that she pressured Guy Ritchie into marrying her by deliberately becoming pregnant.

She was reportedly incensed at the 'revelations' contained in Goddess, written by Barbara Victor.

The book's claims are 'completely untrue', the 43-year- old pop star's publicist said.

Madonna, however, is not planning to take legal action against Miss Victor.

The book claims that she 'hounded' Ritchie to get a date with him. She is said to have called the British film director every 20 minutes while he was at a dinner party thrown by Sting's wife Trudie Styler, who had introduced the two.

Madonna and Ritchie then began dating. When she told him she was pregnant, he 'stormed out', having not been ready to settle down, Miss Victor claims.

She stood by her story last night, despite the denials.

The biography, to be published in America next month, was sourced from interviews with relatives of the singer, she said.

These include her father, her maternal grandmother and siblings. In addition, Miss Victor says she spoke to former lovers. 'Madonna would be the mother of 13 children if she hadn't had 11 abortions,' she said.

The last abortion came between the birth of her first child, Lourdes, and the start of her relationship with Ritchie which resulted in her second child, Rocco, Miss Victor claims.

She said: 'She had a pregnancy in between Lourdes and Rocco. It was with a British man.'

However, she refused to name the man before the book is released on November 7.

Of Madonna becoming pregnant by Ritchie, she said: 'He had no intention of being a onewoman man. Guy initially stormed out of the house.

'His father told him, "If this is your baby, you have to do the right thingî.'

However, Ritchie's father had only intended him to support the child, not marry Madonna, Miss Victor said.

An associate of the film director is quoted as saying: 'They believed that Madonna deliberately got pregnant. This was not some teenage girl who didn't know how to use birth control.'

Miss Victor said Ritchie's parents were 'shocked' when the couple said they were to wed.

'They always envisioned he would marry someone more proper,' she added. 'They looked down on her because she was in showbusiness, ten years older than him - and pregnant.'

Last night, Madonna's former U.S. record company publicist Liz Rosenberg dismissed the allegations. She said: 'The abortion issue is completely untrue.

'That she tricked Guy into marrying her is ridiculous. This is a love match, full stop.'

Madonna's UK publicist Barbara Charone said: 'As far we are concerned, this book is just being dismissed. I am currently not aware of any plans for legal action but this could change.'

Publishers HarperCollins said the book had been thoroughly vetted by its lawyers.